Gobi Desert Adventure

Our professional guide will pick you up when you reach the airport or railway station in Urumqi. You will be transported to the hotel in a comfortable vehicle. After a short rest in the hotel, we will show you the Xinjiang Regional Museum, where you can see the famous ancient corpse of 'Loulan Beauty' and brocades from the Han Dynasty (202 BC - 220 AD). Then you will be escorted back to the hotel.

Meals: No meals, advice freely available

Day 2 Urumqi

Heavenly Lake

Our guide will accompany you to visit Heavenly Lake. You will definitely be amazed at the picturesque scenery of Heavenly Lake which looks like a blue crescent lying among lofty mountains, reflecting the azure sky and floating clouds.

The afternoon Uighur trip itinerary leads you to Xinjiang International Grand Bazaar, the biggest bazaar in the world. You can see Islamic buildings, eat delicious local foods, experience the original ethnic customs and buy some local handicrafts at a bargain price. Afterwards, we will head back to the hotel.

Meals: Western buffet breakfast, Lunch

Day 3 Urumqi - Turpan

Bezeklik Thousand Buddha Caves

After breakfast, we will take a 3.5-hour drive to Turpan, the next destination of this Uighur trip. Our first stop is the Karez System, a desert irrigation system, and one of the three greatest ancient projects in China. Then we will visit the Ancient City of Jiaohe which was built of rammed earth entirely. Standing in the ruins, you can imagine the past glory of the city 2,300 years ago. After that, our trip continues to Emin Minaret - a landmark of Turpan and the largest ancient pagoda in Xinjiang. The adjoining mosque is large enough to hold more than 1,000 people. Afterwards, our guide will escort you to check into the hotel in Turpan.

Meals: Western buffet breakfast, Lunch

Day 4 Turpan

Today's itinerary starts with the Ancient City of Gaochang. It was founded in the 1st century BC, but largely destroyed by war in the late 13th century. You can still find ruins of city walls, temples, forts and chambers there. Next we will proceed to Bezeklik Thousand Buddha Caves located on the cliffs of the Flaming Mountains. There, the large number of Buddha images on the murals are quite diverse, hence the name. After that, you will be guided to the villages of the Tuyugou Valley, which is regarded as 'Little Maijia'. You can see primitive Uygur residences and experience traditional local customs. We will drive by the Flaming Mountains on the way and you can see them bright red under the sunlight. When today's tour is over, your guide will escort you back to the hotel in Turpan.

Meals: Western buffet breakfast, Lunch

Day 5 Turpan - Shanshan - Urumqi

Kumtag Desert

Today you will be accompanied to spend a full day in the Kumtag Desert. A private transfer will take you there in 1.5 hours. You can have fun in the desert riding a camel, experiencing sand surfing or driving an off-road vehicle at your own expense. Taking photos of the endless desert and oasis from the top of sand dunes is a must-do activity especially for shutterbugs. After the visit, you will be escorted to the hotel in Urumqi via a 4-hour ride.

Meals: Western buffet breakfast, Lunch

Day 6 Urumqi - Kashgar

After breakfast, you will be transported to the airport to take a morning flight to Kashgar. The guide of the Kashgar tour will meet you at the airport and help you check into the hotel. After that, our guide will show you around Kashgar's Old Town where the famous film The Kite Runner was shot. Then we will walk to Id Kah Mosque, one of the largest mosques in China, presenting typical Islamic architectural features. At noon, we will take a family visit to taste authentic home-made Uighur food.

The afternoon Kashgar tour itinerary includes the Abakh Khoja Tomb - where a beloved concubine of Emperor Qianlong was buried and Kashgar Bazaar - a prosperous fair similar to the Grand Bazaar in Urumqi but with more local features. If you visit the bazaar on a Sunday, there will be an animal trading market for locals to exchange livestock. When today's Kashgar tour is complete, we will return to the hotel.

Meals: Western buffet breakfast, Lunch

Day 7 Kashgar - Karakuri Lake - Kashgar

Karakuri LakePhoto by our client Ms. Momoko Hansen

After breakfast, we will start off today's Kashgar trip to Karakuri Lake at the foot of Mount Muztagh Ata, which is about 5-hour drive away from Kashgar. Karakuri Lake is like a large mirror embedded on the wide prairie, with the nearby snow-capped peaks casting their reflections on the water. Please have your camera ready to capture this supreme natural scenery. Today's Kashgar tour itinerary is coming to an end at this point and we will head back to Kashgar.

Meals: Western buffet breakfast, Lunch

Day 8 Departure from Kashgar

It is the last day of your Uighur trip. Our guide will transfer you to the airport for your departing flight. There are direct flights from Kashgar to some major cities in China, like Xian, Beijing, Shanghai and Chengdu. You can also transit at Urumqi Airport to countries in Central Asia, such as Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan. We hope you will have had a great time in Xinjiang!

Hi there,Kindly advise on how to travel from Urumuqi to Turpan for those itinerary stated within 4 to 5 days and accommodation as well.Could we travel on free and easy or need to join the travelling group?Thank you

Answers (1)

Answered by Laura | Mar. 29, 2016 21:42

00Reply

You can take bus from Urumqi to Turpan and the ride takes around 2 hours. If you travel on your own, you are recommended to charter a car to take you to each site as the public tranportation may not be convenient.